


What About Uncles?

by madwriter223



Series: AllMother Sif, the Series [16]
Category: Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: A Cameo of the Poetic Edda, Babysitting, But He's Got Different Problems, Fandral is Not Amused, Fluff, Gen, Heimdall is Amused By It, Loki is a Curious Kid, Questions, cuteness, so many questions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-28 00:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6307363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madwriter223/pseuds/madwriter223
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Chapter 10]<br/>Should she invite the uncles over? Rely on them for babysitting? Should she set some ground rules?</p>
            </blockquote>





	What About Uncles?

**Author's Note:**

> And here we have the Heimdall chapter. As this took place originally in a flashback, Loki is still the equivalent of five.  
> I hope you guys enjoy.

Olin dismounted the horse and hurried into the busy market place. Locating the young prince was not hard. He was exactly where Noble Heimdall said he would be. Right by the book stall.

Olin knelt down next to the boy and bowed his head. “My Prince.”

“Yes?” Prince Loki turned to him, hands clenched in the hem of his tunic.

He put his closed fist against his chest. “I am Olin, one of Noble Heimdall's guards.” He brandished his official Guard Seal as proof. “You are to come with me. Noble Heimdall requests your presence in the Observatory.”

The Prince brushed his fingers against the edge of the Seal. “He does?”

“Noble Heimdall insists.” Olin bowed his head again.

Finally, the prince nodded. “All right. I will go with you.” 

*~*

“Noble Heimdall.” Olin clicked his heels together in a salute. “I have brought Prince Loki.”

“Good.” Heimdall didn't turn to look at them, eyes on the endless horizon. “Leave us.”

Olin bowed and went back to his post right outside the entrance. Loki watched him leave, then stepped further into the Observatory. “Greetings, Noble Heimdall. Is there anything you require of me?” He asked, his little back stiff with formality.

“No.” Came the succinct reply.

Loki blinked. “Oh.” He bit his inner lip and stepped closer to Heimdall. “Then... why did you send for me?”

Heimdall still didn't look at him, but his tone softened. “Fandral the Dashing left you unattended. That is not acceptable.” Loki dropped his gaze to the floor. “You will stay here and await Thor and Sif's return.”

“...Friend Fandral told me to stay at the stall.” Loki murmured, hands once more fisting in the hem of his tunic.

“I am certain Fandral will realize where you are.” Heimdall assured him, and Loki looked up at him. “Worry not.”

“... all right.” Loki his hands and released his tunic. “I shall wait here.” 

Heimdall didn't reply, still scanning the vastness of space for any dangers. Loki watched him for a bit, then moved to stand in front of him. “Noble Heimdall?”

“Yes?”

“May I ask you some questions?” He held his head high, back once again stiff in formality.

“You may ask as many questions as you desire.”

“Thank you.” The line of Loki's shoulders relaxed. “Is it true that you can see everything everywhere?”

Heimdall eyes never left the infinite universe, even as he answered the questions. “Yes.” 

“All the time?”

“Yes.”

“Do you get confused?” 

“No.”

“How come?”

“I am used to my Sight.”

“Can you turn it off?” Loki shuffled a little closer to him.

“I cannot.”

“How do you sleep?”

“I do not.”

“Really?” There was a note of surprise in his tone, and his back lost the earlier stiffness.

“Yes.”

“How come?”

“I have my duty. I have sworn to uphold it always.”

Loki shuffled his feet. “When do you pee?”

“I do not.”

“Not ever?”

“No. Not ever.” Heimdall repeated, his tone serious as always despite his amusement. 

“Do you poo?”

“I do not.”

“That's really weird.” Loki tilted his head to the side. “Do you eat?”

“Very rarely.”

“How come?”

“Because my body does not need it.”

“Oh.” A short pause. “Do I need to eat?”

“Yes.”

Loki smiled. “That's good, because I like honey cakes. Do you like honey cakes?”

“Yes.”

Loki smiled. “I like how crunchy they are.”

“They are indeed crunchy.”

“What else do you like to eat?” Loki bounced a little on his toes.

“I eat soup most of the time.”

“Why?”

“It is easier to digest.”

“I can't eat some foods either. I get sick.” 

“I've heard.” 

Loki walked a circle around Heimdall, looking around the Observatory. “Where are your chambers?”

“I do not have private chambers.”

“You don't?” Loki turned to him with another surprised look.

“No.”

“Where do you rest?”

“I do not.”

“You don't rest?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I must be always vigilant.”

“Why?”

“It is my duty. I swore to never fail at it.”

“Thor says failing at something is just another way of learning.”

“Unless you have sworn not to.”

“I guess. But why?”

Heimdall lifted his chin, eyes still on the vastness of space. “I am the Guardian of the Bifrost and of Asgard herself. If I were to fail in my duty, invaders could attack and destroy everything. Even the tree house you and Kjeld are building.”

Loki gasped. “No!”

“Yes. That is why I must never fail and be always vigilant.”

“Always always?”

“Always always.”

“Do you take breaks?”

“I do not.”

“What about to eat?”

“A servant feeds me.”

“What if you get tired?”

“I do not get tired. I do not sleep.”

Loki paused with a thoughtful pout. “What if you get bored?”

“I do not get bored.”

“But what if you do?”

“The universe is infinite and I see it all.”

Loki's brows knitted together. “What does that mean?”

One corner of Heimdall's mouth lifted upwards. “If one spot is uninteresting, I look someplace else.”

“Oh...” Loki turned so that he was facing the same direction as Heimdall. He stared out of the large window built into the wall, but, for obvious reasons, could only see the view outside. “You can see the whole universe from here?”

“I can see the whole universe from anywhere.”

Loki turned around, facing Heimdall with a curious expression. “Can I see?”

“Yes.” Was the succinct reply, and Loki gave a startled smile. “Stand by my side.”

Loki hesitated for a brief moment, then stepped closer. He positioned himself at Heimdall's right side, facing the same way as him. A moment passed, then Heimdall lifted one hand and placed it over Loki's eyes. He pressed his thumb against the little forehead and concentrated. He could feel his Sight extending to include Loki's young eyes as well, so he looked towards one of the more interesting elements of the universe.

Loki gasped. “WOW!” He wiggled in place, pressing closer against Heimdall's hand. “It that a comet?”

“Yes.” The largest one in the Realm, as grand as any star. Speaking of, Heimdall turned his gaze to one of the nearby nebulae, just in time to see a new star being born.

Loki bounced on his toes. “That is so pretty!” He exclaimed.

Heimdall's mouth curled into a small smile, and he looked towards Alderaan 7. The light of its green sun dances across their atmosphere, and Loki laughed.

“It looks like puddles after rain!” Heimdall could feel his little body thrumming with excitement. He was standing on his toes, rocking forwards into his hand, eager to see more of the universe.

Unfortunately, extending his Sight onto others for too long rarely ended well for them. There were some things even Eir couldn't repair. “That is enough.” Heimdall let his hand drop back to his side.

Loki grabbed Heimdall's wrist as soon as the hand moved away from his face. “Why?” He demanded in a pout, tugging on it.

“You will get a headache if we continue for too long.” Heimdall's tone brooked no arguments, and Loki's pout deepened. He was, however, an obedient child. “All right.” He released Heimdall's wrist and looked up at him. “Do you get headaches?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Fairly sure.”

“Okay.” Loki rocked on the balls of his feet. “So all you do every day is stand here and look at stars and planets? All the time?”

“I move to allow passage into and out of our realm. But yes.”

“Don't you get tired?” Loki stepped forward, so that he was standing in front of Heimdall. He craned his head back to see all of him.

“I have my duty, Loki. My life is subjected to it.”

“You don't have anything else?”

“I also have my family.” He paused. “Did you know Sif is my sister?”

Loki's eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Loki narrowed his eyes, looking him up and down. “You don't look alike.”

“Siblings do not need to look alike to be family.”

“Like Thor and me?” Loki smiled and bounced on his toes.

“Yes.”

“But Gyda and Kjeld look a lot like their siblings.” Loki pointed out with a stubborn pout.

Heimdall turned his Sight to another quadrant. “Some families share looks, that is also true.” 

Loki was quiet for a moment, thinking about his next question. “Do you love Sif?”

“Of course.” Heimdall put his hand on Loki's head without looking away from the infinite cosmos. “She is my sister. I love her and everything she loves.”

Loki grinned. “She's really nice. She reads me stories at bedtime.”

“Does she?” Heimdall was aware of that. He often spied on his sister's awkward attempts to care for Loki. She was gaining skills.

“Yes. She doesn't do the voices as well as Thor, but she lets me play pretend the battle parts!”

“That sounds most fun.”

“Do you see into the palace, too?”

“Yes.”

Loki grinned. “Then you can see into my room in the evening, and you can listen in.”

“That sounds lovely, Loki. I thank thee for the invitation.”

“You are welcome.” He paused. “Can you show me a world that has purple frogs?”

“Of course, but only for a short while. Stand by my side.” He lifted his hand in invitation, and Loki eagerly moved into position at his side.

-~

Fandral hummed a merry little tune as he left the wench’s room. That had been both enjoyable and acrobatic. That woman was a marvel.

He skipped down the stairs and sauntered out of the inn. He could feel himself grinning, and he did a little dance to express his joyful mood.

Nothing better in the world than a great time with a woman. 

His good mood evaporated rather quickly. He arrived back at the book stall, and Loki wasn't there. Fandral looked around, but he didn't see any black haired kids anywhere.

Uh oh.

“Hey, book merchant!” He called. “There was a kid here. Did you see where he went?”

“This isn't a nursery.” The merchant scoffed. “There are a ton of people around, I don't pay attention to kids- Hey!” He pointed at a young woman leafing through one book. “This isn't a library. Buy it or leave it.”

Fandral stared at the merchant as he started to haggle with the woman, then slowly turned around. The market place was full of people, the crowd milling around like ants. And Loki was somewhere among all that bustle.

By Odin's Beard. Fandral was screwed.

*~*

It was the rumbling of Loki's belly that alerted Heimdall to the time. “Guard!”

Olin looked to his partner, Jari. “Your turn.” He murmured, and Jari rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Noble Heimdall?” He stepped into the entry way and bowed low.

“Go to the palace kitchen and have a servant bring Prince Loki's afternoon meal.”

“With honey cakes!” Loki added with a smile.

“Yes, Noble Heimdall, Prince Loki.” Jari bowed again, and left to get his horse.

Loki went back to his questions. “What's your favorite color?”

“I am partial to burgundy and turquoise.” Heimdall not once looked away from the unending cosmos.

“I like green.”

“I know.”

“How many planets have a green sky?”

“976,181,325 planets in our Realm alone.”

“Is that a lot?”

“Extremely.”

“Wow. How many planets have bor- burga-”

“Burgundy.” Heimdall murmured, and Loki smiled.

“Yes, that. How many planets have burngundy skies?”

“781,264,903.”

“Is that a lot, too?”

“Yes.”

“Yey! Can you show me one?”

“Yes. Stand by my side.”

*~*

“My Lord Heimdall?” A young servant girl walked into the Observatory. She curtsied. “I have brought Prince Loki's afternoon meal.” She lifted the large basket she held. Heimdall looked inside with his Sight, then nodded. “Go eat.” He told Loki.

“Yes, Heimdall.” Loki skipped over to the servant girl with a smile. “Hello, Angrid. Did you remember about the honey cakes?”

“Yes, my Prince.” She set the basket down and opened the top compartment. “Runa baked a fresh batch for you.”

“Yey! Runa's are the best.” Loki grinned and looked around the Observatory. He frowned. “Angrid, Noble Heimdall doesn't have a dining table. He doesn't eat. Do I have to return to the palace to eat?”

“Worry not, my Prince, I came prepared, just in case.” Angrid pulled a blanket out of the bottomless bag all servants carried. She shook it out and spread it on the floor, right next to the Heimdall's unmoving form. “It will be like a picnic, my Prince.” She explained, setting the basket in the middle.

Loki plopped onto the blanket. “Thank you, Angrid!”

She curtsied. “Will there be anything else, my Prince? Lord Heimdall?”

“Bring me paper!” Loki demanded with a smile, lifting up onto his knees.

“Paper, my Prince?”

“For drawing. Please.”

“I took the liberty of packing a few items for entertainment.” Angrid grabbed the basket and opened the bottom compartment. “I packed a drawing pad, and the book you received from his Lordship Hogun the Grim, My Prince. I wasn't sure about the crayons-”

Loki interrupted her. “That's okay, I've got Enustikr.” Loki pulled his weapon out from under his shirt. Sif insisted that he wear it on a strap around his neck, so he wouldn't lose it.

“I will take the crayons back, then.” Angrid pulled the bag of crayons out of the bottom compartment and placed it in her own bag. “I will put them back in your desk, my Prince.”

“Thank you!” Loki tugged the basket from her hand, and plopped it back onto the blanket.

Angrid pursed her lips, and glanced at Heimdall. She hesitated for a moment more, then knelt down. “My Prince.” She waited for him to look at her before continuing. “Remember that the cakes are for after you eat the main course, per AllFather Thor's orders. And AllMother Sif specified you are to eat all your vegetables this time.” She reminded him in a firm tone. Loki pouted.

“I will make sure of it.” Heimdall assured her, eyes on the vastness of the universe. “You may leave.”

Angrid curtsied. “Yes, My Lord Heimdall.”

“Bye.”

“My Prince.” she curtsied again and walked out of the Observatory.

Loki sat down by the basket and took out the plate of honey cakes. “Yum.”

“Loki.” Heimdall called in a stern voice.

He pouted at the admonishment and set the cakes aside. “I know.” He pulled out a plate of steamed venison dumplings. “Main course first.”

“And your vegetables.”

“Yes, Heimdall.” Loki looked into the basket and lifted the cover off of the bowl of vegetables. “Oh yey! Broccoli and panyams, I like these!”

“There is blue sauce beneath the bowl.” Heimdall informed him, and Loki grinned at him.

“I love blue sauce!”

“Then I am sure you will eat everything with it.”

“Aye! Do you want some?”

“No, thank you. I ate some soup two weeks ago.” He paused. “But I won't say no to a honey cake.”

“All right.” Loki reached for the plate of cakes, but Heimdall continued. 

“ _After_ you eat. I will wait.”

“Yes, Heimdall.” Loki sat back and reached into the basket for the blue sauce. 

*~*

“Finished!” Loki announced some time later, and set his now empty plate down onto the blanket, next to the others. “Can we have honey cakes now?”

“Clean up first.” Heimdall instructed, eyes focused on the Noiro quadrant. Was that army mobilizing or just having weapon training, he wondered with suspicion.

Loki obediently put the empty plates back into the top compartment. Then he grabbed the last plate, the one with the honey cakes. He could feel his mouth watering already. But Thor always told him good manners came first.

So Loki stood up and walked over to Heimdall. “You take the first one.” He said, lifting the plate over his head.

Heimdall kept gazing on the universe as he selected one honey cake. They had been cut into pieces small enough for a child to eat in one bite. The piece felt miniscule in his fingers, but he popped it into his mouth anyway. “Very crunchy.” He remarked as he started chewing.

“Runa makes the best.” Loki grinned at him and set the plate on top of his head. He reached up and grabbed a cake for himself. “She always makes the top extra crunchy for me.”

“My compliments to Runa, then.” Heimdall remarked and reached for another cake. They were indeed delicious.

-~

Loki was gone. Gone, disappeared, vanished! He wasn't at any market stall. Fandral had checked every one, from the book stall to the weapon stall, with no luck. None of the merchants had seen him. Fandral had even checked the nearby inns and bars. It was nearing afternoon meal, so he'd thought the kid had just gotten hungry. But nope. No unattended or lost kids all day. All week, one innkeeper added.

There was nothing else left except notifying the guards, and Fandral couldn't do that. Loki had just wandered off somewhere, no one was stupid enough to kidnap the Prince of Asgard. If Fandral went to the guards, there'd be an uproar, and it would get back to Sif and Thor. That couldn't happen.

But if he didn't find Loki, it would definitely get back to Sif and Thor.

Fandral chewed on his fist, a frantic look in his eyes. He was dead. He, Fandral the Dashing, would soon be Fandral the Very Very Dead. If Sif finds out that Fandral lost Loki because he'd been with a wench, she'd strangle him with his own manhood. And he shuddered to even think about what Thor would do.

Fandral gulped. He had to find Loki and fast!

*~*

Some time later, they moved on to reading practice. Well, Loki was practicing. Heimdall was still gazing out at the endless universe, though his Sight kept returning to the Noiro quadrant. The activities there were suspicious enough to warrant his attention.

Loki sat perched on Heimdall's arm, seated on his elbow like a little parrot. The book Angrid had brought was propped up against his knees, and its spine was resting against Heimdall's shoulder. Loki's eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he read aloud. “ _More fair than the sun, a hall I see, Roofed with gold, on Gimle it stands; There shall the... the..._ ” Loki pursed his lips, staring at the word giving him trouble.

Heimdall was silent, giving the lad the time he needed to think. “Try to sound the word out.” He advised.

“What if I get it wrong?” Loki worried, and Heimdall lifted his elbow to give Loki a little bounce.

“Then you shall make a mistake.” He looked back to the Noiro quadrant. “How else are you going to learn?”

“You sound like Thor.” Loki murmured, then looked back to the word. His lips moved for a bit before he tried speaking the word. “Ri- Right- righteous?”

“Correct.”

Loki grinned. “Righteous! _There shall the righteous rules dwell, And happiness ever there shall they have._ ” Loki turned to Heimdall and nudged his feet against his chest. “Am I doing well?”

“Yes. With enough practice, there will not be a text you won't be able to read.” There hadn't been before, and Heimdall felt confident it would be true this time around as well.

Loki grinned at him and continued reading.

-~

Mili the Seamstress flinched when a blond man grabbed her by the arm.

“Have you seen a little boy?!” He demanded, practically screaming the question in her face. “He's got black hair, pale skin and is this tall.” He held his hand by his hip. “Have you seen him?!”

Mili shook her head. “No, I haven't.”

The man made a wheezing sound and fisted a hand in his hair. His grip looked so tight Mili worried he'd rip his hair clean out.

She felt for the man. “Down that street is a school.” She pointed and the man turned in that direction. “There's a play area near it, maybe your boy is there. If not, just find a guard, he'll organize a search.”

“Thank you!” The man grabbed Mili's hand and pressed a sloppy kiss to its back. Then off he went, sprinting towards the school. He was running as if the flames of Lady Hel herself were nipping at his heels.

Mili sighed and shook her head. “That poor man.”

*~*

Loki put the finishing touches on his drawing and jumped to his feet. “Done!” He called, turning to Heimdall. He stood up onto his toes and lifted his drawing as high as he could. “Look! I drew the birth of the star you showed me!”

“It is an impressive likeness.” Heimdall praised, eyes never once straying from the vastness of the universe.

“You're not looking.”

“I am. My Sight sees all. You used pink to draw the Sun's core.”

Loki grinned. “I did! Thank you!”

Something else caught Heimdall's attention and he turned to Muspelheim. “Our time together is coming to an end. Thor and Sif are nearing the Bifrost site. Gather your drawings and your book.”

“Already?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Loki put his drawing down on the floor. He leafed through his completed drawings and selected one he'd perfected earlier. On it, a little green Loki stood holding the hand of a giant golden Heimdall. Both figures had large smiles on their faces, drawn with such gusto they were bigger than the contours of their heads.

“Here, this is for you.” Loki put the drawing into Heimdall's hand, then he knelt down to gather up all his drawings. Without removing his gaze from the universe, Heimdall folded the drawing with care. Then he tucked it underneath his armor, in a spot from which it would not dislodge, even during battle. He knew that for a fact. His favorite of all the pictures Sif had drawn him as a child was also there. He had tucked it there many centuries ago, and still it remained. All her other drawings were safely stored away within a small chest, hidden at the back of the Observatory. 

Heimdall had a feeling he would need to order a second chest, for Loki's drawings.

“Can I put my things into Angrid's basket?” Loki asked, holding his stack of drawings.

“Of course.” 

Loki nodded and put the drawings and his book into the bottom compartment. He glanced down. “Should I fold the blanket, too?”

“If you want.”

Loki grabbed the edge of the blanket and lifted it up. He made a thoughtful hum as he considered how to actually fold it. It was a big blanket, much bigger than Loki was.

He twisted his mouth to the side and glanced at Heimdall. He couldn't ask him for help, Heimdall had his duty. He didn't move. That left the two guards outside the Observatory. Maybe they could help.

Loki dropped the blanket and marched over to the open entrance. “Guards?”

The guards clicked their heels together in unison. “Yes, Prince Loki.”

“Can you help me fold the blanket?”

The guards both blinked and shared a look. “You want us to... fold a blanket, My Prince?” Olin repeated, just to make sure.

“To help me. Please.” The Prince didn't break eye contact, and Olin glanced at Jari.

“You want to or should I?”

Jari shrugged. “You. It your turn, anyway.”

Olin nodded and leaned his spear against the wall of the Observatory. “I will assist you, my Prince.”

Loki smiled and lead the way to the blanket. They'd have it folded in no time.

*~*

Fandral slammed to a halt when the Bifrost activated. He wasn't far from the Rainbow Bridge, thus he had the perfect view of the pillar of light as it formed to connect two worlds.

Fandral could bet money that it was Sif and Thor. Returning. And here Fandral was, Loki-less.

He wiped at his eyes with a shudder. He was dead.

Still, Fandral couldn't put it off any longer. Loki was nowhere to be found (and boy, did Fandral search). He was missing, plain and simple. Lost or worse. Fandral turned towards the Bridge and took off running. The sooner he alerted Sif and Thor, the sooner they could organize a proper search party.

*~*

“Can I go get flowers?” Loki asked suddenly.

“Why flowers?”

“I'm like a welcoming party. Welcoming parties always have flowers to greet guests.”

“That is true.”

“So can I go get some for Thor and Sif?”

“No.”

“How come?”

“You will not return in time.”

“Yes I will. I'm very fast.”

“They will step through in any moment now. It is not enough time to go get flowers.”

“But-”

“No.”

Loki pouted. “Yes, Heimdall.” But then the tall figure of his brother stepped out of the Bifrost's pillar of light, and Loki bounced on his toes with an excited squeak. Sif arrived right after Thor, and Loki ran to them with a welcoming grin.

**Author's Note:**

> And done. Whoo, this came out even bigger than it seemed on Wednesday. ^_^ Let me know what you think.  
> P.S. Loki's reading a fragment of the Poetic Edda, just in case anyone's curious.
> 
> The next chapter will be up on the 27th.


End file.
